Brittany Howard, the charismatic lead singer for the rock/soul outfit Alabama Shakes, told Bob Boilen and Ann Powers that she had never traveled outside the American Southeast prior to playing NPR Music's SXSW Showcase.

The violinist Andrew Bird — also a composer, and singer and accomplished whistler — headlined NPR Music's SXSW Showcase. He performed largely from his new album, Break It Yourself, but also found space for older classics.

It's always quite the occasion when Stephin Merritt takes The Magnetic Fields on the road, and he certainly rewarded fans with old favorites as well as new songs in a laid-back set that closed out NPR Music's SXSW day party.

Late Thursday night, Bruce Springsteen and the retooled E Street Band ripped through a nearly three-hour "secret" concert at the Moody Theater, the new home of Austin City Limits. Ever the showman, Springsteen crowd-surfed.

"We live in a post-authentic world. Today, authenticity is a house of mirrors." That was just one of many memorable quotes from Bruce Springsteen's outstanding SXSW keynote that began Thursday. (Birzer)

New York City's Naked Cowboy has a little-known cousin in Austin. We didn't catch his name, but we'd like to think it's The Naked Guy Who, For Reasons Of Pure Geography, Could More Likely Be Called An Actual Cowboy.

Late Thursday night, Bruce Springsteen and the retooled E Street Band ripped through a nearly three-hour "secret" concert at the Moody Theater, the new home of Austin City Limits. Ever the showman, Springsteen crowd-surfed.

It's always quite the occasion when Stephin Merritt takes The Magnetic Fields on the road, and he certainly rewarded fans with old favorites as well as new songs in a laid-back set that closed out NPR Music's SXSW day party.

Brittany Howard, the charismatic lead singer for the rock/soul outfit Alabama Shakes, told Bob Boilen and Ann Powers that she had never traveled outside the American Southeast prior to playing NPR Music's SXSW Showcase.

The violinist Andrew Bird — also a composer, and singer and accomplished whistler — headlined NPR Music's SXSW Showcase. He performed largely from his new album, Break It Yourself, but also found space for older classics.

This poor guy really wanted to premiere his solo piece for violin and wolf mask, 'Lycanthropic Tendencies,' at an official SXSW showcase, but settled for the spot where A$AP Rocky marked his territory the night before.

Patrick Watson's performance at St. David's Episcopal Church on Thursday night brought All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton to tears: "It was magical. ... That's the world that I want my kid to inherit.